Sensitivity and behavioral responses to the pheromone androstenone are not mediated by the vomeronasal organ in domestic pins
Sensitivity and behavioral responses to the pheromone androstenone are not mediated by the vomeronasal organ in domestic pins
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DOI：
10.1159/000112981
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发表时间：
1997-01-01
影响因子：
1.7
通讯作者：
Halpern, BP
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Dorries, KM;AdkinsRegan, E;Halpern, BP
主要基于实验室啮齿动物的研究结果，犁鼻或辅助嗅觉系统被认为主要在社会交流中起作用，介导刺激物如尿液或腺体分泌物对同种动物行为或内分泌反应的影响。在家猪（Sus scrofa）中，类固醇雄烯酮已被确定为信息素，其促进对雄性的am-动作和发情雌性的接受性交配姿态的表达。虽然家猪是为数不多的脊椎动物物种中的身份的化合物，作为信息素的功能是已知的，犁鼻系统在家猪的作用从来没有被调查。我们研究了犁鼻器在介导雄甾烯酮的信息素效应中的作用。此外，我们还研究了犁鼻器的结构，在宏观和光镜水平。犁鼻器功能正常，感觉上皮排列在犁鼻器的内侧壁，并能接受来自口腔和鼻腔的刺激。为了确定犁鼻器是否是必要的雄甾烯酮检测或吸引或接受行为的雌性猪，犁鼻器的访问被封锁与外科水泥，雄甾烯酮检测阈值和性行为进行了测量。实验动物没有显着不同的雄甾烯酮的敏感性，测量行为，从未经处理的控制。犁鼻器阻塞的动物也没有不同的未经处理的控制，无论是雄烯酮介导的接受站立行为或吸引雄烯酮的气味。我们的结论是，在家猪，犁鼻器是不必要的雄甾烯酮检测或雄甾烯酮介导的性行为在发情期的女性。
Based largely on results of studies of laboratory rodents, the vomeronasal or accessory olfactory system is believed to function mainly in social communication, mediating the effects of stimuli such as urine or glandular secretions on the behavior or endocrine response of conspecifics. In the domestic pig (Sus scrofa), the steroid androstenone has been identified as a pheromone that facilitates expression of both am-action to the male and a receptive mating stance in estrous females. Though the domestic pig is one of the few vertebrate species in which the identity of a compound that functions as a pheromone is known, the role of the vomeronasal system in domestic pigs has never been investigated. We have examined the role of the vomeronasal organ in mediating the pheromonal effects of androstenone in pigs. In addition, we have examined the structure of the vomeronasal organ at the gross and light-microscopic levels. The vomeronasal organ appears functional, with sensory epithelium lining the medial wall, and has access to stimuli from both the oral and nasal cavities. To determine whether the vomeronasal organ is necessary for androstenone detection or attraction or receptive behavior in female pigs, access to the vomeronasal organ was blocked with surgical cement, and androstenone detection threshold and sexual behavior were measured. Experimental animals did not differ significantly in androstenone sensitivity, measured behaviorally, from untreated controls. Vomeronasal organ-blocked animals also did not differ from untreated controls in either androstenone-mediated receptive standing behavior or attraction to the odor of androstenone. We conclude that in the domestic pig, the vomeronasal organ is not necessary for androstenone detection or androstenone-mediated sexual behavior in estrous females.